At a glance:
- Pilots Christopher Hollands has pleaded guilty to not maintaining radio communication with air traffic control during a flight.
- The Manchester Magistrates' Court has sentenced the pilot to £4,511.
- This is the first prosecution for such an incident in the UK.
A pilot operating a commercial flight from Oslo to Manchester has pleaded guilty to not maintaining continuous radio communication with air traffic control during a flight.
On 20 March 2025 at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, Christopher Hollands was fined £4,511 following an investigation and prosecution by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
The regulator’s Investigations and Enforcement Team found that on a SAS Connect flight from Oslo to Manchester with 58 passengers, Captain Hollands failed to establish two-way radio communication with the appropriate traffic control unit, in contravention of the law.
The incident was reported by NATS after a more than 30-minute loss of radio communications with Mr Hollands, triggering the declaration of a security incident. Two RAF Typhoons were launched to intercept the aircraft.
The plane was escorted to Manchester Airport, where it landed and went to a remote stand and police boarded the aircraft.
This is the first prosecution for such an incident in the UK.
Glenn Bradley, Head of Flight Operations at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
“Incidents of lost communications causing security breaches are a matter of great concern both for us as the aviation regulator, and for the Government.
“Aviation is one of the safest methods of transportation, and it relies on pilots maintaining radio communication with air traffic control through the standard channels during flight.
“We continue to work with pilots, airlines, and the Government to reduce similar incidents, including by prosecuting offenders when appropriate to maintain confidence in UK aviation’s safety and security.”
Notes to editors
- Christopher Hollands’s actions were in contravention of SERA.8035 and Article 265(7) of The Air Navigation Order 2016, as amended.